“A Nebraska blizzard is a blinding force of nature, when densely falling snow can quickly obscure landmarks, leaving anyone caught in its swirl hopelessly disoriented. That’s why Marty was surprised to see his father get behind the wheel of his car in the midst of a February snowstorm.”
AARP Special Report: The Opioid Epidemic
“Americans over 50 are using narcotic pain pills in surprisingly high numbers, and many are becoming addicted. While media attention has focused on younger people buying illegal opioids on the black market, dependence can also start with a legitimate prescription from a doctor: A well-meant treatment for knee surgery or chronic back troubles is often the path to a deadly outcome.”
Administration on Aging’s Older Americans Month 2018
“Every May, the Administration on Aging, part of the Administration for Community Living, leads our nation's observance of Older American's Month. The 2018 theme, Engage at Every Age, emphasizes that you are never too old (or young) to take part in activities that can enrich your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.”
Depression as We Get Older – Darkness then Light (video)
“I entered a different place. It was like walking from bright sunshine into a darkened room, a room with no way out. My close family thought they were helping by arranging for me to move into a new house…when this made my blackness worse, they organized for medical tests to see if I was physically ill. I wasn’t. I was sliding down a well into a dark, dark place and I couldn’t help myself.”
Why Older Adult Mental Health Matters
“Mental and substance use disorders are major impediments to living well in old age. They cause considerable personal suffering and make it difficult for older people to achieve their potential in old age. This is a population in critical need of education, targeted prevention and early intervention.”
Kids Talk About Mental Wellness (video)
A great video for children under 12 and their parents! Third grader Madison talks about her stressors, how she copes with them, and the stigma around mental health.
“I like it when my parents are excited about who I am and what I do,” Madison says. “Talking about my feelings helps too. … Saying things like crazy, dumb, and crybaby doesn’t help.”
youth.gov – Attitudes and Discrimination
“Discrimination against youth with mental health challenges begins early and increases over time, causing attitudes to become ingrained. Despite the fact that an overwhelming majority of Americans believe that people with mental illnesses are not to blame for their conditions (84 percent), only about 57.3 percent believe that people are generally caring and sympathetic toward individuals with mental illnesses.”
Amy’s Story (video)
“I ended up having to finish my grade 11 and grade 12 year in the hospital … a lot of people tell me to just pick up the food and eat it, but that’s not how it works [with anorexia]. I’ve lost too many friends because of all this. Running away from me wasn’t the answer … slowly integrating back into the real world is what got me better.”
Stigma Keeps Many Teens from Getting Mental Health Treatment
“Spend much time around teenagers and you won’t have trouble coming up with a number of adjectives to describe their attitudes and behaviors, but “shy” probably won’t be at the top of the list. From attention-grabbing fashion decisions to passionate beliefs to a somewhat disquieting tendency to share intimate and outlandish thoughts and images with the world via the Internet, today’s teens seem to be fearless when it comes to expressing themselves on any topic that is important to them.”
Adolescents Cope with Mental Illness Stigmas, Report CWRU Researchers
“Living with a mental illness can be a tough experience for adults, but with the increasing numbers of youth diagnosed and taking medications for mood disorders, it can become a time of isolation, according to a study from Case Western Reserve University Mandel School of Applied Social Sciences. In one of the first studies of adolescents between the ages of 12 and 17 with mental illnesses and taking medications, researchers found that at least 90 percent of the study’s participants reported experiencing some form of stigma. It has led to shame, secrecy and limiting social interactions.”